Avodah provides QVDP youth snacks

Quadra Village Drop-In Program (QVDP) for youth is one of the programs Avodah is proud to support. Avodah’s Jackie Saunders-Ritchie and Penny Tennenhouse were thrilled to be invited recently to a special delicious and healthy lunch lovingly prepared by youth in the program for funders. It was a truly wonderful, enjoyable opportunity to meet the youth and the staff at Quadra Village and get to know them and their program better.

Avodah’s funding goes towards providing snacks for this program which runs two days a week Thursday and Friday for three hours each evening. The QVDP is for youth ages 10-18. An average of 20 youth comes to these two drop-ins on Thursday and Friday.

Tara Skobel, the Youth Program Coordinator says, “We have seen an increase of younger youth who are accessing our centre. These youth come hungry and rely on us for support and food. Your funding really helps us provide food for these youth in need during our drop-in hours.

“With your help we have been able to continue making full meals for the youth and providing healthy snack opportunities. They appreciate the options we provide which would not be possible without your generous donation! Your donation makes not only a huge difference in this program but in our youths’ lives! Thank you so much for your support!”

Boys & Girls Club Needs Care Families

Saturday, December 1 between 11 am – 12 pm — We have invited Debi O’Boyle, Manager for Care Families & Quality Assurance, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Victoria to speak to our congregation during the service on Saturday, December 1^st about the current needs of their program. Boys & Girls Club of Greater Victoria has responded to the needs of children, youth, and families in the Capital Region for 58 years. They are a not-for-profit agency accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitative Facilities (CARF). They are affiliated with Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada.

For more than 30 years, Care Families have supported youth while they attend Boys & Girls Club programming. Each Care Family supports one youth at a time and receives 24 hour support from qualified staff. Adolescence is a time when youth learn skills, practice healthy relationships, and take on increased responsibility in preparation for adulthood. Care Families support youth learning life skills and lessons—sometimes for the first time and help youth get on the right path to becoming successful self-sufficient adults.  For more information go to website: https://bgcvic.org/become-a-host-family/

Youth Program coming this fall!

Meetup: Sunday, September 17, 1 pm — We invite you to be part of the shul’s new youth group starting this fall. Make friends and stay in touch with old ones. We will explore social justice, volunteer in the community and have fun throughout the year.

Apples & Honey: Thank You!

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who helped to make this year’s Apples & Honey fundraiser for youth programs such a success.

• Thank you to Ellen Dragushan and Mitch Witkin for baking all the delicious honey cakes—and Jill Swartz for donating the apples. 
• Thank you to our delivery volunteers: the Piuti family, Herzog family, Marvin Kurier, Penny Ross and Tony Leiman. 
• Also thanks to Solomon Bodrug and Nathaniel for packing the bags. Really hope I didn’t forget anyone!

– RaeAnn

Shabbat Service, Saturday, December 13

Avodah is very pleased to have Jennifer Mortimer, coordinator of the Out of the Rain Youth Night Shelter Program, give the drash at our upcoming Dec. 13 Shabbat service.  

Congregation Emanu-El participates in this program, providing shelter and hot meals at our synagogue one night each week to homeless youth during the cold winter months. 
Also joining us from Beacon Community Services will be Elaine Venables, Director of Children’s Programs and Counselling Services. We are grateful to Jenn and Elaine for their outstanding leadership and partnership with Avodah and Congregation Emanu-El in carrying out this important program. 

Regional Events/Shanah Tovah from Pinwheel USY

Please mark your calendars. Scholarships are available, helping to make the local events more affordable.  Regional events are a great opportunity for our kids to meet other kids from Vancouver, Seattle and Spokane.

Please pencil in two local dates:

• Oct 10-12: Emanu-El Family Shabbaton at Camp Miriam  and the kick off event for Kadima
• Oct 26: the super fun “Kadima Kidnap Breakfast” scheduled before Hebrew School on.  We’ll be looking to the Grade 8 & 9 kids to help with the “kidnapping” as well as cooking the breakfast and entertaining this year’s Grades 6 & 7 kids. 

We’re hoping to have a strong contingent of high school teens at the Shabbaton so be sure you don’t miss out!  Please let me know if you’d like more info about either of these events. 

May the New Year be filled with joy and good health for you and your family, RaeAnn 

2014 – 2014 Regional Executive Board

Lindsey Carmen, Naomi Shaw, Sam Shere, Abby Diebold, Vanessa Diamond & Jack Friedman

2014 – 2015 Regional Staff

Aviva Tilles & Gilad Beresnestin

2014 – 2015 Pinwheel Region Youth Commission Chair

Steven Novick

2014- 2015 Pinwheel Regional Calendar

We hope to see you there …

November 14^th – 16^th

USY Fall Kinnus 

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish PINWHEEL

– Camp Solomon Schechter –

REGISTER HERE

December 5^th – 7^th

– Winter Kadima Kinnus – 

Camp Solomon Schechter

December 21^st – 26^th

– USY International Convention – 

Atlanta, GA 

REGISTER HERE

February 20^th – 22^nd  

– 8^thGrade Shabbaton with New Frontier – 

TBD in New Frontier

February 27^th – March 1^st

– USY Spring Kinnus – 

   Portland, OR Area

Late April – Spring Kadima Kinnus – Home Hospitality TBD

May 15^th – 18^th

– USY Regional Convention – 

Camp Solomon Schechter

Upcoming “Kadima” events

USY/Kadima event: Jerusalem at IMAX, Thurs, Aug 21 at 7pm

All students (and their parents) in grades 6-12 are invited to attend.

RSVP is required by Mon, Aug 18 to by email to Rae Brechner.  

Feel free also to email for more information (such as cost).

In other news, be on the lookout for information about ordering your honey cakes for the Kadima/USY Apples & Honey fundraiser for the New Year.  If you’d like to volunteer to help deliver baskets on Sept 21, if you have apples from your tree to donate or if you would like to help bake cakes in the synagogue kitchen, email Rae Brechner.